Nissan to cut hundreds of jobs at UK car plant
Japanese automaker Nissan will axe hundreds of staff at its car plant in northeastern England due to a sharp fall in diesel car sales, a source told AFP on Friday.
Questioned about media reports of hundreds of job losses at Nissan's factory in the coastal city of Sunderland, a source close to the matter confirmed the news but declined to give a timeframe.
The news also comes as Britain's car sector, which is largely foreign-owned, continues to face Brexit uncertainty on the horizon.
The Sunderland plant -- which builds the Juke, Leaf and Qashqai car models, many of which are diesel -- employs 7,000 workers who produce some 500,000 vehicles per year.
However, Nissan saw British sales slump 35 percent in the first quarter on an annual comparison.
That mirrors a broader trend across the British automobile industry, with demand sliding on UK government plans to improve air quality.
And diesel car sales are also struggling elsewhere in Europe.
More and more consumers are choosing to ditch diesel cars in favour of automobiles that are regarded as more environmentally-friendly.
The vast bulk of Sunderland-built Nissan cars are exported to elsewhere in Europe.
Meanwhile, Friday's news came as Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK (NMMUK) announced that it would implement a "short term" reduction in volumes at the sprawling Sunderland facility.
“As previously communicated, we are transitioning to a new range of powertrains over the next year," a company spokesman said.
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